Head Over Feet
by Twin-Lupus
Summary: Raven has always been afraid of getting hurt. She shuts herself off from the world to prevent potential emotional pain. But when a certain teammate of hers makes the effort of open her up, what will happen? [One-shot, RxBB] [FG]


Author's Notes: Well. I don't know if people have heard, but is disallowing songfics now. I don't think that's very fair to prevent us from using songs if we properly cite our sources. I have highlighted where I cite mine in this, and so everyone knows I didn't write the song. I hope that will rethink their decision regarding songfics, because they are a huge part of the fiction writing process. I still wanted to post this one, so I did. I hope I don't get in any sort of trouble. I'd be devastated. I love I just think they need to reassess their judgment.

Anyway, here's another ONE-SHOT. Yup, that's right, a ONE-SHOT. I love that people enjoy my stories enough to ask for more - actually, I love it so much, it really breaks my heart saying I can't write any more for it. Please, everyone, I _really_ appreciate that you want to read more, but I just don't have any more ideas on how to continue it. If you come up with something, however, let me know! I'd love to hear it!

OK, here we go! This is just a short RxBB fluffy thing. It'll bounce around a bit to fit the lyrics. Please really do read the lyrics! I know some people skip over them, but the song fits too perfectly for you to do so! ;

**Song belongs to Alanis Morissette. All rights belong to her. I own nothing.

* * *

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**Head Over Feet**

"Raven? It's me." Beast Boy stood outside the dark girl's room. It had gone silent inside, but he knew she was in there. He couldn't believe the recent series of events that had occurred. To think Raven could have ever fall for someone was almost unimaginable. She always seemed to be totally in control and down-to-earth. Could it even be possible she could fall in love? But either way, she was hurt now and needed comfort.

"Look, I'm sorry." Beast Boy heard quiet footsteps approaching the door on the other side.

"Why?" came softly through the metal. "You're not the one who-"

"No, I'm sorry that… he broke your heart." He was unsure how she would take that. Would she openly admit she really liked the guy? Especially after he had deceived like he did, Beast Boy doubted she would ever want to hear about him again.

"I know it was all a lie, but he was the only person who ever made me feel like I wasn't… creepy. And don't try to tell me I'm not." Beast Boy felt awful. He wished he could go back in time and prevent himself from saying that to Raven. He had no idea it would hurt her so much. He had snapped because he'd been aggravated… although come to think of it, he wasn't quite sure what annoyed him so much.

It might have been he really wanted to play the stupid game. It might have been he was tired of seeing Raven shut herself off from everyone else - from him. He was sick of her cold pretense and wanted her to have fun for once.

Or was he angry because he still hadn't opened her up to him?

Regardless, it was time to do damage control. "OK, fine, you're way creepy. But that doesn't mean you have to stay locked in your room. You think you're alone Raven, but you're not."

There was a pause. Beast Boy considered repeating himself when the door slid open, revealing a forlorn Raven. She looked at her teammate for a beat, then threw her arms around him in a comfortable hug.

Beast Boy was taken aback. Raven didn't _do_ hugs. Or had he been wrong? Was Raven exactly the same as any other teenager - someone looking for love?

He needed to clear his head. Beast Boy pulled away to look Raven in the eyes. She gazed right back. 'She really is hurt,' Beast Boy thought. 'That means she really must have liked him.' Time seemed to have stopped entirely. 'Can she ever love again? Could she ever love… me?'

_**I had no choice but to hear you  
You stated your case time and again  
I thought about it**_

"Hey!" Beast Boy said casually, flipping over the back of the couch to land with a thud on his rear. He glanced over to the girl he was sitting next to. Raven barely looked up from her book. She sat on the couch, curled up next to a big stack of novels.

"Watcha reading?" asked Beast Boy, sliding coyly closer. Raven glared at him over the top of the book, but remained silent. Beast Boy put his arms up on the back of the couch. "Nice day, huh?" he said, laughing slightly. Raven didn't respond; only her eyes moved, skimming across the page, back and forth, absorbing the colorful language of the author. Beast Boy picked at the couch. "Check out this great… uh… fabric!" he said cheerfully. Raven closed her book.

"OK, I'll bite. What do you want?"

Beast Boy sighed and leaned forward, propping his elbows up on his knees. "I really want to talk to you. I think… well, I really have to get something off my chest."

"Go ahead."

"I mean… well, I don't… really want to say it here. Can we go out, like, to lunch or something? I don't know, I just don't want to stay here…" he added, noting Raven's incredulous look.

"Thanks, but no thanks," she said coolly. She stood, hoisting the books next to her up into her arms. She walked away into the shadows of the hall.

She walked through the halls, shaking her head. 'What is he talking about?' Raven asked herself. Sadly, she could come up with no answer. When she arrived at her room, she noticed a small slip of paper had been taped to her door. She pulled it off, curious. The messily scrawled "Raven" immediately told her Beast Boy had written it. Scowling, she opened the note.

'Hey Raven! I'm really bored and I'm sending you a little note… yeah, I don't know why. But I decided to show off my great artistic skills!

BB'

Below, there was a tiny picture of two birds flying. One was green and the other was black. Raven rolled her eyes. Inwardly, however, she was touched and flattered. Why had he gone through so much trouble?

Back in the other room, Beast Boy slid off the couch to slump onto the floor. 'I can't believe I'm doing this,' he thought to himself. 'I'm just kidding myself. Nothing's going to change. I don't stand a chance.'

**_You treat me like I'm a princess  
I'm not used to liking that  
You ask how my day was_**

Raven sighed as she walked through the door, just having returned home from shopping at her favorite book store. She entered the main room, setting a plastic bag onto a stool. She looked up to see Beast Boy, wearing his chef's hat, was preparing lunch.

"Almost done!" he said happily, still concentrating on the meal. Raven, confused, sat down. Beast Boy spun around, gripping the handle of a frying pan. "OK," he said, waving the food in front of Raven. "This is a new recipe, but it should be pretty good." He reached down into a cabinet and grabbed a plate. He slid the concoction onto it and set it gracefully in front of Raven. She winced. It was clearly another tofu recipe, and it looked rather unappetizing. It resembled a pale pancake.

"This is very thoughtful," Raven said tactfully. "But I'm not-"

"Wait one second!" Beast Boy cried, interrupting her. He dashed over to a drawer and whipped out a cookie cutter. His hat fell off in the process. The green Titan zoomed back over to Raven. He quickly attacked the meal with the metal cutter. In less than a minute, he had completely carved the disgusting mush into six small stars of tofu. "Now the presentation matches the taste!" Beast Boy proclaimed, gazing proudly at the plate.

Raven sighed inwardly. She really didn't want to eat the tofu, but Beast Boy had gone through so much trouble…

She started to stand. Beast Boy asked, "Where are you going?" in a worried voice.

"I need a fork," Raven droned. She looked at him. "Unless I'm supposed to eat it with my hands…?"

"No! No! Heh, that was dumb. Lemme get you one!"

"I can do it," Raven protested weakly, but Beast Boy shook his head merrily and waved her back down. She sat, perplexed, as Beast Boy ran over to the cutlery drawer. He snatched up a knife and fork for the girl and walked back over. Their fingertips brushed as Beast Boy handed over the silverware.

The green teen leaned on the counter, gazing at Raven as she carefully cut a corner of the first star. She was about to pop it in her mouth when Beast Boy slapped the countertop, startling her. "Whoa! I forgot a drink!" he practically yelled. He raced over to the refrigerator and grabbed a soda. He carefully placed it in front of Raven. Then he settled back down to watch her eat.

"This is pretty good," Raven said, trying to contain her astonishment. She was a little overwhelmed at the first-class treatment.

"You think so? I mean, it's something I've never done before, so I wasn't sure how it'd come out, but it was on this great website where they had tons of different recipes- I'll shut up now." He played with the handles of the plastic bag Raven had brought home. "So I see you bought even more books," he said playfully.

"So many books, so little time," Raven said with a smirk.

"Then I take it you had a good day shopping?" queried Beast Boy. Raven nodded, her mouth full of the tofu. "That's good," Beast Boy said, smiling. He continued to watch the dark girl eat. She finished chewing the bite she had been working on and swallowed.

"Do you… want something, Beast Boy?" His grin only grew wider.

_**  
You've already won me over in spite of me  
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet  
Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are  
I couldn't help it  
It's all your fault**_

Cyborg guffawed as a character in the movie the Titans were watching made a joke. Starfire, nonplussed, turned to Robin, who she was sitting next to on the couch. He whispered something in her ear and she giggled.

The entire team was watching the newest action film. Cyborg had rented it from the local Cook's Entertainment store, and he'd convinced everyone else to watch it with him.

After the joke, however, the action picked back up. Beast Boy sat on the edge of the sofa, staring at the screen with wide eyes. His muscles were tense and his nails dug into the fabric; he was really absorbed in the movie. Raven sat between him and Cyborg, her arms folded across her chest. She didn't want to admit it, but she was really enjoying the movie.

The main character adjusted his sun glasses, about to engage in another high-speed chase scene. Gunshots rang through the air in the movie and the cars took off down the highway. The villains of the story proceeded to shoot at the main character, leaning out the windows of their black car. The hero had to demonstrate amazing acts of bravery and skill to stay alive.

"Dude!" cried Beast Boy as the main character narrowly avoided yet another bullet. He flung his arms out to wrap them around Raven's shoulders. She started, but the green Titan didn't even notice. Neither did the others, who were as enthralled with as Beast Boy was. Strangely, Raven didn't protest the physical contact. She didn't even know why she failed to care. She remained still, relishing the warmth and security of Beast Boy's arms.

'What am I _thinking_?' she demanded of herself, but could find no answer within the recesses of her mind.

As the action died down for the moment, Beast Boy seemed to remember himself. He removed his arms sheepishly. Raven only rolled her eyes, but there was the hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth. 'I guess I can let it slide… just this once.'

**_Your love is thick and it swallowed me whole  
You're so much braver than I gave you credit for  
That's not lip service_**

"C'mon Rae!" Beast Boy called over his shoulder. He was running ahead to the shore. The Tower loomed behind the Titans in the fading sun.

"I'm coming," she muttered, stepping carefully on the rocks. She had had a busy day fighting crime and had taken off her shoes to relax her feet. She could have easily levitated herself off the ground and floated over the stones, but she wanted to conserve her energy. So she walked. Raven had no idea where Beast Boy had gotten the stamina to run ahead.

"Check this out!" he exclaimed, pointing at something on the ground. Raven made her way daintily over. "Look Rae!" Beast Boy said breathily.

"I'll let the nickname go," Raven grumbled, peering over a large rock to see where Beast Boy was indicating.

She followed the direction of his finger to a small pool, created by the receding tide. At first, it appeared empty, and she was about to say so when the words died in her throat and she could only gasp.

The pool was teeming with life. Tiny fish darted through the water, creating miniscule ripples as they went. A large, tan crab made its way stealthily across the rocky bottom, stirring up small clouds of dust. Little bugs skimmed the surface of the water. Microscopic plankton floated lazily through the water.

"Beast Boy…" she murmured, at a loss for words. He was opening himself up to her in ways she would never have imagined possible from him. He was throwing himself out there, vulnerable to the world.

"Isn't this neat?" he whispered, not wanting to break the spell. "I've found a couple of these along the beach, but you're the first I'm showing it to."

"How come?" questioned Raven in a quiet voice. Beast Boy shrugged.

"It just seemed right." They watched the tiny oasis of life in silence for a few more minutes before Raven let out a small sigh, a sigh that resembled a word.

"Thanks."

**_You've already won me over in spite of me  
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet  
Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are  
I couldn't help it  
It's all your fault_**

The screen flashed red and blue, alternating. The words ran across the top, proclaiming the victor. But Beast Boy wasn't satisfied. He had beaten the game through before, and it was now boring. He'd challenged Robin to a match battle, but Robin had declined on the pretext of training. He'd promised Beast Boy he'd play after his session, but it seemed to be running over.

The green Titan sighed. He got off the couch and began rifling through his other games, searching for something else he felt like playing, without success. His ears perked up as he heard a door slide open behind him. Were Cyborg and Starfire back from their rounds in the city?

It was Raven. She took a look around the room, noting Beast Boy on the floor and the absence of the rest of the team.

"Did Cyborg and Starfire leave already?" she queried. Beast Boy looked at her incredulously.

"Um… like an hour ago."

Raven blushed. "Oh. I was going to join them, but I guess I spent more time on the computer than I thought."

"You were on the computer? But we're not allowed to use it for fun! I got in trouble for looking up those recipes!" Beast Boy cried indignantly. Raven rolled her eyes.

"First of all, I wasn't on the main computer _or_ a branch of the main computer. Next, I have my own. I'm trusted not to break it."

"And they don't trust me!" exclaimed Beast Boy resentfully, but a cold stare from Raven brought forth sheepish laughter. "Oh. Yeah. Right. I knew that." He scratched the back of his head. "So I guess, since you're not going out on patrol, you have nothing to do?"

"Hardly. I can go meditate, read a book, practice spells and incantations, even-"

"Play video games with me!" Beast Boy interrupted, waving a cartridge in front of her face.

"Um… no."

"Please!" whined Beast Boy, clasping his hands together in the typical begging position. "This is a really fun one, and there's no one else around!"

"Go find Robin," Raven scowled, a look of disgust plastered on her face. "I bet he'd be more than happy to play."

"He's off training," the green Titan said dismissively, waving his hand in front on his face. "He couldn't be bothered. Pretty please!"

"Look," Raven said, whirling on Beast Boy, her face a mere two inches from his. "I don't want to play your stupid game, and there's nothing you can say to convince me! I have better things to do with my life. I'm not going to sit here wasting hours of my time on something as trivial as a video game!"

"So… you'll join me?" Beast Boy said hopefully, moving in slightly closer. Raven just stared.

"You… you… you," Raven spluttered, at a complete loss for words. Beast Boy grinned coyly. "I… OK, you know what? This is it. We've done it. We've actually done it. There's no logic left in this conversation. The logical thing would be to walk away, but since there's no more logic, whatever. Give me a controller."

"Seriously?"

"Don't push it; there's still a chance for me to change my mind." Beast Boy slapped a hand over his mouth. He bent to grab the extra controller.

Beast Boy and Raven sat down on the couch, side by side. Their eyes focused on the screen, where Beast Boy began booting up the game. Raven smacked herself on the head inwardly. 'What the heck am I doing?'

She knew she was going to regret this. Playing video games with the boys always ended up in disaster. But she didn't have much time to think before she and Beast Boy exploded into battle. Their characters' faces flashed across the screen in seizure-inducing lights. Suddenly, their players were standing in the arena, with huge numbers counting down to the beginning of the battle.

Their first fight was over in less than a minute. Beast Boy bit down on his fist to keep from laughing as Raven gaped at the screen in a daze. She shook her head slightly, as if that would change the message on the television. "What?" she asked quietly. Beast Boy snorted, biting down harder. Raven shot him a death glare. "Start it up again!"

"Bu-"

"Start it!" Beast Boy quickly complied. This time the battle was even shorter. Raven grunted, merely staring at the screen, and Beast Boy took that to mean to commence the next battle.

And so they went. Raven did improve, albeit slowly. They quickly lost track of how many battles they engaged in. Cyborg and Starfire came and went. Dinner time passed. Neither Titan moved. The hours dragged on and on. Beast Boy was then hit by the sudden realization that their fights were now evenly matched. Raven was still losing, but the battles were much longer now. Beast Boy was still better, but now Raven had become a worthy opponent. Beast Boy gazed at her with admiration. He had never expected her to warm up to the game this quickly.

Unfortunately for him, Beast Boy's lapse in attention cost him footing in the game. Raven's character let out a yell as the Titan's fingers ran rapidly over the buttons, typing in the command for a body slam. The pixilated person obeyed, and Beast Boy's player fell to the ground with a large "Whoof!"

"Yes!" screamed Raven, leaping off the couch. "Yes! Yes! I won! I did it! In your face! I won!" Her face was triumphant, a thin bead of sweat on her forehead. Her eyes shone through the gloom. She whirled on her teammate behind her. "Did you see that!"

Beast Boy smiled happily. "I sure did. You beat me, fair and square. You used everything in your power to beat me, and you did. Great job."

Raven was taken aback at the maturity in Beast Boy's voice. Sure, she knew there had to be an intelligent, wise being deep within the jokester, but nevertheless, it surprised her when it revealed itself. She suddenly seemed fully aware of the fact she had just spent hours playing video games with Beast Boy. Her face grew bright red, and she pulled her hood up swiftly. "I'm going now," she said, much more resigned.

She started to leave, but a grunt from Beast Boy stopped her in her tracks. She turned to see him right behind her. "That was good game. We're supposed to shake after a good game." Raven hesitated. "Cyborg and I do it all the time." Although Raven could not recall a time when the two teammates had shaken hands, she extended hers.

"Good game," Beast Boy said calmly. "You won this round, but you won't win the next."

Raven watched him carefully, aware that his voice was hinting at something.

**_You are the bearer of unconditional things  
You held your breath and the door for me  
Thanks for your patience_**

"That was so _stupid_!" Raven cried as she entered her room. She grunted as she began pacing around the room. 'How could I have let that happen? That idiot, why did he sneak up on me like that?' she thought to herself, raging.

The Titans had been locked in combat about a half an hour ago. Their new villain was some moron running around in a costume, but this moron had been equipped with knives. He'd been rather tricky to pinpoint, and he'd gotten behind Raven at point in the battle. She had almost been hit with a forceful blow to the back, but Robin had pushed her out the way. The villain had gotten him in the side, but lost his balance in the process.

Cyborg quickly apprehended the villain, seizing him around the middle while Starfire had flown down to rip the knives from his hands. She'd then rushed over to where Robin lay at Raven's feet. The dark girl had been trying to heal him, but the cut was deep.

"Minor flesh wound," he'd grunted, smiling weakly. The two girls worked together to maneuver him into the waiting T-car. They'd set him down carefully on the backseat, and Starfire had quickly moved in beside him, laying his head on her lap. Beast Boy flew in as a sparrow, landing on Starfire's shoulder.

"You're gonna be fine, man," Cyborg had said, joining the girls. "We'll get that fixed up in no time."

Although the Titans were treating Robin's injury in the medical ward, Raven was still mad at herself for allowing herself to be ambushed like that. She felt guilty for Robin's wound. She sat down on her bed, her head in her hands. She sat quietly for a few minutes, then stood up. 'I need tea.'

As the door to her room slid open, she saw a dark shape scurry away from the door. She recognized a green dog.

"What do you want, Beast Boy?"

The green dog stopped in its track. Letting out a sigh, Beast Boy resumed human form. "I just wanted to see if you were doing OK."

"Why wouldn't I be?" she snapped.

"You seemed pretty upset over Robin's injury," Beast Boy said quietly, looking down at his feet.

'Was it that obvious?' Raven thought to herself. Out loud, she said, "What, does the whole team think I'm sulking? Was it apparent that I'm concerned for a teammate? I should be, shouldn't it?"

"Well-"

"Were you sent here to check on me?"

"No," Beast Boy said, surprise in his eyes. "The others are tending to Robin. I could just tell you… blamed yourself."

Raven started. She hadn't expected that. "I shouldn't have let that guy sneak up on me like that," she said, brushing past the green Titan. Beast Boy quickly jogged to keep up. "It was my mistake. I should have been paying more attention to what he was doing. Because of my lapse of judgment, Robin was hurt. If it's serious…"

"It's not," Beast Boy said in a reassuring tone.

"How do you know?" asked Raven sullenly. Beast Boy shrugged.

"I just do. Robin's come way to far in life to be taken out by some pathetic creep with a knife."

Raven allowed that piece to sink in. It was true, Robin was a very strong person, never letting anything get him down… but that still didn't make her feel better.

The Titans had reached the door to the main room. Beast Boy punched the buttons to open it and it slid open. He held one hand over the doorway and gestured with his other hand that Raven was to enter first.

Raven was taken aback. What kind of treatment was this? Beast Boy just waited for her, his eyes fixed on hers. 'Why is he waiting for me? Why is he being so nice all of a sudden?'

But the truth was, Raven realized, it _wasn't_ all of a sudden. Beast Boy had been treating her kindly since the day she'd met him. Despite his childishness at times, he really was a good person. His annoying jokes and misguided pranks concealed a mature, intelligent young man. Beast Boy had a soft side and, as Raven was beginning to realize, patience a mile high. Despite all of Raven's nasty comments to him, despite her occasionally snobbish attitude, despite her dry wit and sarcasm, despite her refusal to open up to anyone, Beast Boy still tried. He struggled daily to make Raven feel at home, to make her feel safe among her friends, and more than anything, to make her trust him. For whatever the reason, he wanted her trust.

Raven realized with a jolt that he already had it. Without her even being aware of it, she had allowed herself to feel a sense of security around him. She knew, deep within her heart, she could believe in the jokester in front of her.

She had never felt more grateful to someone in her life.

She smiled at her sudden revelation. "Thank you," she murmured quietly, stepping through the doorway, but signifying so much more than a mere door. Beast Boy smiled with a goofy grin. Raven rolled her eyes at his foolishness. Inwardly, she was grinning too.

**_You're the best listener that I've ever met  
You're my best friend  
Best friend with benefits  
What took me so long?_**

The sun was beginning to set over the bay. Thin strips of rose spread out, fanning through the orange hue. Splashes of red outlined the horizon, fading into darkness above. Beast Boy sat on the roof of Titans Tower, watching nature paint a beautiful masterpiece. The breeze blew through his hair, ruffling his green locks and bringing the sounds of the waves crashing and the sea gulls calling to his ears. The salty air singed his throat as he breathed in deeply. In that moment, he'd never felt more alive.

A small creaking noise brought him back to earth. He turned to see that Raven had just joined him. "Hey," she said quietly. Beast Boy smiled warmly.

"Come sit down!" he called, waving her over. "It's a pretty awesome view - and it's free!"

Raven snorted, but complied, lowering herself down next to the green Titan. She settled herself in and the two teammates watched the sun sink lower and lower behind the horizon in silence. Raven allowed the serenity of the scene to wash over her like one of the gentle waves below them, trickling back from the sands to its home, the sea. But the stillness was broken by a sigh from Beast Boy as he began to speak.

"Look, Rae - Raven," he said, noticing her look. "I know I can be pretty annoying at times… OK, most of the time. I… guess I can't really help it. Maybe it's just me. But I can definitely see where you'd get aggravated, and I totally don't blame you if you hate me."

"Hate y-?"

"I'm not the easiest person to live with, I know. I just want to thank you for putting up with me as long as you have." He chuckled. "I know I'm just lucky to not have been blasted through a wall."

"Wait," Raven said, looking at Beast Boy. "Wait. I don't hate you." Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. "You're right, I get aggravated at times, but that doesn't mean I hate you. You're… you. I can't hate you, I just hate your behavior. No, I don't. I take that back. I can tolerate your behavior, but I don't like it. But I do like it because it's you and I like you. I mean…" Raven was really getting flustered. "I-"

A finger covered her lips, preventing her from continuing her ramble. A slow, creeping blush began making its way up Raven's cheeks. Beast Boy grinned again, removing his finger. "I know what you're saying. Thanks, Raven."

Raven gazed back out to sea, watching the sun dip even lower. "You always do," she breathed.

"Hmm?"

"You always seem to understand what I say… or what I don't say," elaborated Raven. "Isn't that a quote? 'Friends understand what you say, but best friends understand what you don't say?'"

"I think I've heard that, yeah," Beast Boy confirmed. "So… best friends? That's new."

"It shouldn't be," sighed Raven, looking down at her hands. She paused, studying her nails numbly. Beast Boy waited for her to speak. He knew she would open up when she was ready.

Finally, she sighed again and looked at the water. "I think I owe you an apology. It's taken me far too long to realize… how much you mean to me."

**_I've never felt this healthy before  
I've never wanted something rational  
I am aware now  
I am aware now_**

"All my life, I have never wanted anyone to become close to me. After I lost my mother… well, needless to say, it devastated me. I was absolutely desolate. It took me years to be able to talk about her death without bursting into tears… not that I don't cry now," she said quietly, her eyes sad. "I just… absorbed the idea. Now that I'm older, I can wrap my brain around the concept of death. It doesn't make it any easier, though - only clearer."

Her voice was barely above a whisper, but Beast Boy made sure he heard every word. "Anyway, after my mother passed away, I was hurt terribly. As I recovered from the shock and grief, I vowed to myself I would never let that happen to me again. I promised myself I'd never permit myself to get that close to anyone. If I did, then there was the chance that they'd be ripped away from me… and I couldn't handle that." Raven turned to Beast Boy.

"Then I met Robin. He asked me to start the Teen Titans with him, and I agreed. I wanted to help people, so it seemed right. I was comforted by the fact that Robin was a private person too; we were able to coexist easily, by simply not asking. I have a real respect for that, and I appreciated it greatly from him."

"And then I showed up?"

"And then you showed up. You weren't content to let me dwell on the past, to sit in my room alone. You tried to include me in everything, you tried to make me laugh, you even tried to get me to open up. At first, I wanted to punch your lights out. I _wanted_ to be left alone, and you didn't seem to understand that. But now I know I was wrong. I _didn't_ want to be left alone, and somehow you knew it. Somehow, despite my insults and sarcasm, you knew I was lonely. You knew I wanted company, even when I didn't. That was so much more important to me, and I didn't even grasp that. But luckily, you didn't give up. Despite my best efforts, I liked you. I cared about you. And that was all I ever really wanted."

Beast Boy's jaw dropped slightly. Had Raven hit her head or something? He would _never_ have expected a confession like this from the dark Titan.

But then again… it confirmed his theory. Raven really was just like everyone else. She just needed more time to trust people.

The shape shifter opened his mouth to say something, but Raven wasn't finished, so he snapped his jaw shut. "Beast Boy… I guess I've come to realize something else. I know now… well, now…" She shook her head. "Now I know, I honestly know…"

**_You've already won me over in spite of me  
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet  
Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are  
I couldn't help it  
It's all your fault_**

Beast Boy put his hand over hers. "Know what?"

Raven's face grew even redder. "I… know…"

Beast Boy leaned in, prompting her.

"I…"

He took her other hand.

"Beast Boy…"

Raven felt her breath grow shallow. Beast Boy's face was a mere inch from hers. She was suddenly acutely aware of the heat radiating from his body, so close to hers. Their fingers were interwoven, connecting the two of them and preventing Raven from pulling away. She blushed as she noticed their awkward position: her legs nearly touching the green teen's body as his chest hovered over hers.

"What do you know, Raven?" Beast Boy asked, his breath hot on her face. All Raven could do was blink at him. She didn't answer. She didn't have to.

Beast Boy closed the miniscule gap, gently placing his lips over Raven's. She tensed, unsure of what to do. But all of time seemed to have frozen, and she realized that it felt… _right_. She leaned in, tightening her grip on Beast Boy's hands. Her eyes closed. It felt as if their lips were made for each other; they fit perfectly. Beast Boy slowly detached a hand and let it rest on Raven's waist. He deepened the kiss, and Raven was more than happy to oblige.

The sun hit its last view point of the day. Its rays shone over the water in a dazzling final display, bathing the world in an orange light. Even the buildings across the harbor seemed to be warm and soft. The light illuminated the two Titans on the roof, fanning out around them in glittering beams. The entire world seemed to be basking in the beauty of their love, and the sunset was that much more elegant that night.

As the sun dipped below the last wave, Beast Boy and Raven broke apart slowly. They smiled at each other in the growing darkness. The murkiness of the evening could do nothing to dim the light of the two lovers, who stayed wrapped in each others arms until the morning light.

* * *

Author's Notes: Whew! That took me SO long to write. I apologize for any mistakes. I did the best I could without a proper editor. Softball is, thankfully, over, so I'll be updating "True Love" soon too! Anyway, did either Beast Boy or Raven seem out of character to you? To me, this story seems like it actually _could_ happen, but I sincerely doubt that it _will_. I write all my stories based on, in my opinion, possibilities. If I felt it was absolutely impossible for a character to behave in a certain fashion, I try to avoid ever making them act that way. (And yes, Slade's behavior in "True Love" is _possible_, but you'll have to read it to find out why!)

Anyway, all your thoughts and comments would be greatly appreciated. Please review!


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